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domenica 28 dicembre 2014

Ninja Skills - Sobrio (Ticino)

Ninja Skills 8B+, Ticino. Photo Giulia Paoletti

When I was
in Albaraccin I started feeling my shape reviving a bit, especially on the very
steep boulders. Getting the positive feelings back was simply a wonderful
emotion. After the week spent in Spain, I set a little goals-list I wished to
complete before the end of the year. My plan was to complete a couple hard sequences;
they would have been special and gorgeous as I desired. The list included 5 problems to work and the goal was to finish
two of them before 2015. Since I have to work them more than usual, I had to
chose something not so far from home. The 5 names came up quickly: The big
project in Bavona, "From dirt grows the flowers" and "Big
paw", both in Chironico, "The Story of two worlds" in Cresciano
and "Ninja Skills" in Sobrio. I previously had other sessions on
these problems during the years like one session in From dirt and ninja skills,
eight days on the story in Cresciano, four ones in the Bavona project and an
endless number of working days on Big paw. Something like ten or more for this
last I guess. Frustrating.

One point
where I have a lot to learn and a lot to understand is to set the working days
closer and to dedicate a long period to work on a single hard project. This approach
would sound better than trying one single line for a full day and then come
back to attempt it one year later or six months later. Using this manner, I
basically feel that the previous session almost didn't count and the work I
dedicate before is almost useless. It doesn't need to be a genius to understand
this process, but after years I am still not getting used.

So in this
period I was really thinking to start this process, but at the beginning of
December I felt it was time to go into the training mood and for this reason I
hadn't time to go on the rock. Anyway, I had few sessions before the program in
the month of November. I started with FDGTF in Chironico. The session went much
worse than last spring, when I was able to climb it in 3 parts. This time I was
no more capable of finding the beta and the good feelings I had. Moreover, the
sweating troubles increased a lot and all my finger thrown out water after few
goes. Seeing how the skin is bad in these months, I immediately set aside this
one: The holds are sharp, small and incut so it is not the best if you have
soft and wet skin. Big Paw was the same story of years ago. In 2011 I was
getting really close, but after that incredible and positive session I was not
even able to repeat the single moves. I opted to work it with another big beta,
skipping some moves and going directly to a hole when the right hand is still
really low. I have never been able to stick the move; I went close a couple of
time, but never stuck it. In the same
time when December started, I began to follow teamoftwo training program where
I do just indoor climbing, gym, trx and other stuff.

Just before
Christmas, I had a couple of days off from training and I went up to continue
the selection of the problems to work. I went again to big paw, but the bad
feelings went on, without any kind of progress. Seeing the bad and poor
results, I decided to set aside this one as well, together with From dirt. Ninja
skills would have been the next to try. For this problem I was more positive.
Together with Giulia, during an afternoon of rest, I went to check it out again
with one pad only. Fortunately, I was able to remember the path correctly and
after just 15 minutes of hiking I was under it. I let the pad for the day
after, it was supposed to be a great day since Nils and other couple of guys
wanted to check it. On December 23rd we woke up with great temps: not to cold,
dry, sunny and the feelings of the winter in our veins. I met up with Nils in
Nivo, to get warm before going up to Sobrio. The warming up went good, I felt
positive, free and focus to start a session of work in "Ninja Skills".
I really hoped to find a boulder to work for more than one day, without having
bad feelings like on "big paw".

The picturesque
village of Sobrio was still in the sun. It is crazy to see how this peculiar
place is far from the society and it is located in such a cool mountain. The
hiking was memorized good; I reached Ninja in 10 minutes or so, walking down quickly
for the excessive motivation we had. The sun was still hitting it; so we took
profit to sign the holds, put the chalk on, remember the beta I tried in 2011
and eat a bit after the downhill. Ometz brothers reached us when the shade came
and we started to try it all together. I figured out a smart and good beta for
the finish. I did the ninja move on the first go this time, while years ago it
required me something like 15 goes. The first two moves compose in my opinion
the hardest part of the line: big move to a bad sloper and then a "go-again"
action to a pretty positive edge. These two moves can be considerate around
V11/12, which lead you into the second part of the same difficult but really
longer, composed by 12 moves where endurance and precision can make the
difference between sending it or not. I started working from two moves into the
start and I quickly reached the top, climbing the hardest move of the upper
section. Feelings were great.

After a
quick break I tried again the first moves; I was able to do them singly. This
was awesome too, since 4 years ago I was not even able to hint none of them. I
felt I could start to work the line from the proper start and see what would
happen. Surprisingly I linked the second move from the bottom, I got the easier
part and I felt on the ninja move, missing the correct sloper to use for the
jump. I felt immediately stupid since it was a great occasion. If I would have
taken the proper slopy pinch, I would have probably had opportunities to
complete it or at least to stick the crimp in the ninja move. A bit
disappointed I rested and I reset my mind. The skin suffered a lot from the
slipping, since the wrong hold slipped fast. But I was trying to not think
about it.

Rest time
was over and I went into another go. With more troubles than before I got again
into the ninja move, this time with the proper hold but more tired than before.
The attempt was vain. I opted to rest again and to do another session of
working in the upper moves to get even more confidence, since I felt to have no
chance from the start. Baptiste figured out an interesting beta for the ninja
move, basically skipping it. From the same two holds, instead of going up with
the right hand to the positive crimp, he tried to go with the left one, using a
left heel hook on the rail. After few attempts I managed to do the move using
this beta. It looked to be big and as hard as the other way, but it
definitively requires less precision on your feet and less body coordination. I
repeated the single move for 3 or 4 times, then I rested. I felt it was the
last possible shot from the start, hoping that the new way could have given me
the last chance. Surprisingly I grabbed for the 4th time the second hold and I
ride the rail which leads into the third crux. Using the new beta I grabbed the
good crimp and I started to think about finishing the whole line. The only
thing that could have stopped me was a flash pump, but the breathing helped my
mind to believe in the sending and together with this "mate" I sent
it.

Climbing
"ninja skills" was awesome. The problem is gorgeous and the feelings
at the top were sweet. I complete this goal, but not the main one. I wanted to
search for a line to work hard and falling in its obsessions, but I was not
able. Fortunately, during the Christmas day I started for a solo mission to
Chironico again and I probably found two problems where to invest time and energies,
testing my skills under this aspect that I felt is missing in my climbing life.
The first line is called "The great shark hunt" in Nivo, while the
second seems to be "Big kat" in 101. Moreover, I would still have to
check the project in Bavona and "The story of two worlds". I will
still have other few days to go up in Ticino before the 7th on Jan, when I will
start the program again. If the skin and the weather will help me, I will go to
attempt them.